Lead songwriter and vocalist of the now reunited Pixies, Frank Black adopted a reversal of his former alias, Black Francis, and embarked on his solo career after the 1992 breakup of Pixies. He released his debut self-titled album, Frank Black in 1993. It contains his biggest rock radio hit, Los Angeles (#4 US Modern Rock). A year later came the critically acclaimed Teenager of the Year.
Frank Black's solo career covers a much more diverse range of styles and genres compared to his time with The Pixies. His works have feature a much more melodic touch, yet his lyrics are still often spiced with his quirky and inventive touch.
Frank Black regularly posts and responds to questions on the forums of his official fan site, frankblack.net, under the alias "frnck blck".
He began recording and touring as Black Francis in 2007, with the album Bluefinger, an album about the late Dutch musician and painter Herman Brood, and the mini album Svn Fngrs in 2008. On this tour he abandoned encores in favour of precores; a free mini gig at a public location earlier in the day. The gigs proper featured only current songs, the precores being more flexible.
Black Francis released NonStopErotik in March 2010.
The Pixies, minus original bassist Kim Deal, reunited for a United States and world tour in 2014 and have subsequently released three additional studio albums: Indie Cindy (2014), Head Carrier (2016) and Beneath the Eyrie (2019).
Los Angeles
Frank Black Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He was a good man
Sailing and shoring
Dancing the beta can-can
Making me foreign
Oh yeah
I want to live in Los Angeles
No, not the one in South California
They got one in South Patagonia
I want to live in Los Angeles
Not the one Los Angeles
They got a bunch down in Moleville
They got a bunch more still
I want to live in Los Angeles
Not the one in Los Angeles
They got one in twenty-five two five
Works just like a beehive
I want to live in Los Angeles
Not the one in Los Angeles
Counting helicopters on a Saturday night
The symphony of the fair light
I hear them saying Los Angeles
In all the black and white movies
And if you think they star-spangled us
How come we say Los Angeleez?
I'll wait in Los Angeles
I'll wait in the pouring sun
No way
For not anyone
No way
I met a man
He was a good man
Sailing and shoring
He got a betatron, man
Talking that foreign
Oh yeah
I'll wait in Los Angeles
I'll wait in the pouring sun
No way
For not anyone
No way
I'll wait in Los Angeles
I'll wait in the pouring sun
No way
For not anyone
No way
Frank Black's song "Los Angeles" is a peculiar and cryptic piece that reflects the artist's love-hate relationship with the city of Los Angeles. The lyrics begin with an introduction of a man sailing, shoring, and dancing the beta can-can, a dance that symbolizes the frenetic and confusing pace of life in Los Angeles. The man makes the singer feel foreign, as if he doesn't belong there, evoking a sense of separateness and isolation. The singer then launches into the chorus, repeatedly stating his desire to live in Los Angeles, but not the one in South California. He mentions the existence of a similar city in South Patagonia, which seems to be a metaphor for the elusive nature of the Los Angeles he seeks. He then continues to list various locations in Los Angeles, emphasizing once again his desire to live there but not quite sure where. He mentions the symphony of the fair light, which is possibly a reference to the lights in the city and the sounds they create that make Los Angeles seem like a grand symphony.
As the song progresses, the singer begins to question his desire to live in Los Angeles. He hears the phrase "Los Angeles" in black and white movies, and wonders why the pronunciation of the city is different when we say "Los Angeleez." The repetition of the chorus, coupled with the singer's ambivalence toward the city, creates a sense of confusion and uncertainty.
Overall, the song speaks to the mystique of Los Angeles and the allure it holds for many people, while also acknowledging the confusing and sometimes maddening aspects of life in the city.
Line by Line Meaning
I met a man
Frank Black met a man
He was a good man
The man Frank Black met was a decent person
Sailing and shoring
The good man was traveling by sea
Dancing the beta can-can
The man was dancing
Making me foreign
The man made Frank Black feel foreign
Oh yeah
An exclamation used to show excitement or agreement.
I want to live in Los Angeles
Frank Black wants to live in Los Angeles
Not the one in Los Angeles
There's another Los Angeles that Frank Black wants to live in
No, not the one in South California
It's not the one located in Southern California
They got one in South Patagonia
There's a Los Angeles somewhere in South Patagonia
They got a bunch down in Moleville
There are multiple Los Angeles in Moleville
They got a bunch more still
There are even more Los Angeles somewhere else
They got one in twenty-five two five
Another Los Angeles is located at 2525
Works just like a beehive
The Los Angeles at 2525 is as busy as a beehive
Counting helicopters on a Saturday night
Frank Black is counting helicopters flying in Los Angeles on a Saturday night
The symphony of the fair light
The sounds that Frank Black hears from the helicopters make him think of a symphony
I hear them saying Los Angeles
Frank Black hears people saying Los Angeles
In all the black and white movies
He hears it in black and white movies
And if you think they star-spangled us
Frank Black is questioning why we say Los Angeleez (a slang version of the pronunciation) if it's not because of the American flag
How come we say Los Angeleez?
Questioning why people pronounce Los Angeles as Los Angeleez
I'll wait in Los Angeles
Frank Black is willing to wait in Los Angeles
I'll wait in the pouring sun
He is willing to wait even in the sweltering heat of Los Angeles
No way
Frank Black says no to someone or something
For not anyone
He wouldn't do it for just anyone
I met a man
Frank Black met another man
He was a good man
This man, just like the previous one, was also good
Sailing and shoring
This man was also traveling by boat
He got a betatron, man
Frank Black noticed something about the man, which was likely a betatron
Talking that foreign
The man was speaking a foreign language
Oh yeah
Same exclamation as before
I'll wait in Los Angeles
A repetition of Frank Black's willingness to wait in Los Angeles
I'll wait in the pouring sun
Another repetition of the earlier line
No way
Same as before
For not anyone
Same as before
No way
Same as before
For not anyone
Same as before
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Charles Thompson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Davidowalls19
I met a man
He was a good man
Sailing and shoring
Dancing the beta can-can
Making me foreign
Oh yeah
I want to live in Los Angeles
Not the one in Los Angeles
No, not the one in South California
They got one in South Patagonia
I want to live in Los Angeles
Not the one in Los Angeles
They got a bunch down in Moleville
They got a bunch more still
I want to live in Los Angeles
Not the one in Los Angeles
They got one in twenty-five two five
Works just like a beehive
I want to live in Los Angeles
Not the one in Los Angeles
Counting helicopters on Saturday night
The symphony of the fair light
I hear them saying Los Angeles
In all the black and white movies
And if you think they star-spangled us
How come we say Los Angeles?
I'll wait in Los Angeles
I'll wait in the pouring sun
No way
For not anyone
No way
I met a man
He was a good man
Sailing and shoring
He got a betatron, man
Talking that foreign
Oh yeah
I'll wait in Los Angeles
I'll wait in the pouring sun
No way, for not anyone
No way
@ferna2294
Discovered this song in Tony Hawk´s American Wasteland. Makes me wanna live in Los Angeles, but not the one in Los Angeles.
@chicxulub2947
me too
@Mr.McBigMacFatty
They got that song from Eric Koston’s part in Yeah Right
@zackworrell535
You didn't listen to the song did you? "I wanna live in Los Angeles, not the one in South California, they got one in South Patagonia". The song is about his pessimistic view of the future of LA after he was there recording when the tragic earthquake hit in '89...but you're too young to remember that probably. You should have asked to have been in 1971. Your life would be better.
@ferna2294
@@zackworrell535 Calm down I´m not even from the USA. It was just a comment. And seeing the terrible social tensions that you guys have in there, trust me when I say that I wouldn´t live there even if they paid me. I want my students safe.
@therealmacronin
Fuck yeah dude.
@ishtarbabylon4869
Saw this at 17 the first time it came out when I was super stoned ..
I couldn’t stop laughing at Frank Cruising around in his Hovercraft ..
The whole video and song is like a fever dream ..
Gen X and proud ❤
@flukeDC4
Legend has it he is still out there... The Frank, all in black, with his guitar over his shoulder... Floating around the desert in his hovercraft. Like a tiny proud captain of a porcelain gravy boat floating on the sea of your grandmas table cloth at thanksgiving. Godspeed, Mr. Black. Godspeed. (Also a snarky and proud Gen Xer of a very similar age stuck on the same thing lol)
@staciamwalrus
Who else used to watch 120 Minutes every week?
@ronaldburgess2884
I first saw this on "Beavis and Butthead".